By: Waris Fayaz
Baramulla, Jul 14: Three persons including two minors lost their lives while another was rescued after slipping into a canal of the Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Project (LJHP) in Gantmulla area of Baramulla, in a tragic incident that occurred on Sunday.
The bodies were recovered after a joint rescue operation, which lasted over 36 hours.
Officials said that the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a group of people from Srinagar had gone for a picnic near the LJHP canal along the River Jhelum in Baramulla district.
During the outing, two minors accidentally slipped into the water. In an attempt to rescue them, two others also jumped in, but were swept away by the strong currents.
Soon after the incident, the locals alerted authorities, prompting the launch of a multi-agency rescue operation involving teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Baramulla, Civil Defence, Jammu and Kashmir Police and local volunteers.
On the same day, an individual identified as Syed Mohammad Ilyas Geelani, of Tawheedgunj Baramulla was rescued and shifted to PHC Sheeri, where his condition was reported to be stable.
Later, the body of Ibrahim Bin Showkat (13), a resident of Narkara Budgam, was recovered near Bimyar, some distance downstream from the site of the incident.
The search continued throughout the night and into Monday. In the early hours of July 14, the rescue teams recovered the second minor victim, Ahmad Bin Khalid (13) of Hyderpora Srinagar.
Later that morning, the third and final body was retrieved. He was identified as Haji Mehnaz Rashid Shah (40), a resident of Khanyar Srinagar, who had reportedly jumped into the water in an attempt to save the children.
Police officials, meanwhile, confirmed the completion of medico-legal formalities and said the bodies were handed over to the respective families for last rites.
The incident has caused widespread grief and has triggered appeals for stricter safety measures near water bodies, especially in areas frequented by the public during the summer. (KNO)
Gantmulla drowning incident: 3 killed, one rescued
